Russia Says Ready To Move Forward On NATO Ties

May 08, 2009 12:14 GMT

Russia's Dmitry Rogozin blamed the latest problems in Russia's relations with NATO on forces in the alliance hostile to Russia, pointing a finger at new Eastern European members, former Soviet satellites in the Warsaw Pact.

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Russia Says Ready To Move Forward On NATO Ties

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MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russia's envoy to NATO has said Moscow was ready to go ahead with restoring ties with the alliance despite tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats and controversial military exercises in Georgia.

Dmitry Rogozin suggested the expulsions of two Russians from Brussels and two alliance officials from Moscow, along with the NATO exercises, could be part of a plot to sabotage U.S. President Barack Obama's policy of improving relations.

"It is time to put a full stop in this story and restore relations as soon as possible," Rogozin said from Brussels during a video link with Moscow journalists. "We will go ahead with restoring relations."

The Western alliance froze contacts with Moscow over Russia's five-day war with Georgia last year and resumed formal talks on April 29, the day NATO informed Moscow it was expelling two Russian diplomats.

The row killed a plan to hold the first ministerial meeting between Moscow and the alliance this month. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov decided against going to Brussels.

Rogozin said Lavrov's decision to stay away was not fatal for relations with NATO. "We do not think NATO is lost for us as partner," he said.

'Plot Against Obama'

Lavrov met with Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on May 7. Obama is expected to make his first visit to Russia in July.

Lavrov said after the talks that "artificial obstacles" in the work of Russia and NATO should be removed and business resume as soon as possible.

"We have never said there will be no ministerial meeting," Rogozin said. "We were talking about our desire to postpone it until a more suitable time."

"If Lavrov returns from Washington with success -- and I have no doubts in this -- we will agree on restoring ambassadorial meetings ... and set a new date for the ministerial meeting."

Rogozin blamed the latest problems in Russia's relations with NATO on forces in the alliance hostile to Russia, pointing a finger at new Eastern European members, former Soviet satellites in the Warsaw Pact.

"We have wonderful relations with some NATO members," he said. "But there are those who are afraid of getting lost in the Euro-Atlantic structures and seek to remind the world about themselves at any opportunity."

Unnamed Bush-era officials were also responsible, he added.

"A new team is now being formed in the United States...and there are still people appointed by the old administration," he said. "We admit a possibility that what we see is a plot against Obama in the Euro-Atlantic camp."